As they initiated full-scale acceleration, the cultivation gap between the Inner Courtyard disciples and the Outer Courtyard disciples became glaringly apparent.
A soul master’s strength undergoes massive leaps at the four major milestones: Soul Elder, Soul King, Soul Sage, and Titled Douluo.
Reaching the Soul Elder level allows a soul master to fuse a thousand-year soul ring; reaching Soul King allows for a ten-thousand-year soul ring; reaching Soul Sage grants the Martial Soul Avatar; and a Titled Douluo has the potential to attempt fusing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
Although Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi were only a dozen ranks lower than Inner Courtyard disciples like Chen Zifeng and Ling Luochen (who were at the Soul King level), and possessed only one less soul ring, that gap wasn’t something easily bridged.
In their previous sparring match with the Inner Courtyard disciples, the reason they were able to temporarily rival Soul Kings was entirely due to the immense power of Xu Zihuang’s First Soul Skill and Ning Tian’s Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul.
After all, not everyone could possess mind-boggling, heaven-defying talent like Xu Zihuang.
The gap in soul power cultivation was only one factor.
The lack of physical enhancement provided by a ten-thousand-year soul ring was another detail that couldn’t be ignored.
For instance, if a soul master successfully absorbs a ten-year soul ring, the physical enhancement it provides might be a factor of ten.
But for a hundred-year soul ring, it would be a hundred; for a thousand-year soul ring, a thousand, and so on.
This clearly highlights the massive disparity.
This is exactly why, when hunting soul beasts for soul rings, soul masters always strive to push as close to their body’s maximum tolerance limit as possible.
Because of their heavier builds, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi struggled considerably to keep up.
Jiang Nannan, whose body was lighter and whose martial soul specialized in speed, fared a bit better, but even she was visibly straining.
Conversely, He Caitou—the heaviest of the group—managed relatively well, relying on the assistance of his soul tools.
As for Wang Dong and Ning Tian, who were being carried by Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen, they naturally didn’t face this problem at all.
Although Ma Xiaotao had to spare some effort to carry Wang Dong, she still led the charge at the very front.
The sheer power of her Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul and her personal cultivation were displayed unmistakably.
Trailing in second place, naturally, was Dai Yueheng, whose cultivation was second only to Ma Xiaotao.
However, following closely behind him wasn’t the other five Inner Courtyard disciples, but Xu Zihuang.
Even Chen Zifeng, a pursuit sword soul master with a formidable rank fifty-seven soul power, fell half a step behind Xu Zihuang.
While Xixi’s short-term explosive speed was terrifying, in long-distance travel like this, endurance is paramount, making her inferior to Chen Zifeng, who had an advantage in soul power cultivation.
As he ran, Chen Zifeng sidled closer to Xu Zihuang, clicking his tongue in amazement.
“Junior Brother Yu, your physical fitness is absolutely insane.
You’re making me feel pretty demoralized here.
Sure, as a tool soul master, my physical fitness can’t compare to beast soul masters like Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, but the gap in our soul power cultivation is still obvious.
And your martial soul shouldn’t be a beast martial soul either, right?”
Chen Zifeng initiating conversation with Xu Zihuang was indeed partly out of surprise, but his primary motive was to build a good relationship with him.
Anyone capable of entering Shrek’s Inner Courtyard wasn’t a fool.
How could he not see the high regard Elder Xuan held for Yu Tianhuang?
The main purpose of the sparring match between the preparatory team and the Inner Courtyard disciples earlier was likely just to ensure Yu Tianhuang gained their acknowledgment.
At just twelve years old, he had reached the Soul Ancestor realm.
His soul ring configuration was a terrifying three purple and one black.
A genius of this caliber was destined to become the leading figure of the Inner Courtyard in the future.
Building a good relationship with him now offered only benefits and zero drawbacks.
But most importantly, Yu Tianhuang’s overwhelming strength had earned his respect.
In the soul master world, strength reigns supreme—this is an immutable truth.
If you are strong enough, you earn the respect of others.
Xu Zihuang naturally saw through Chen Zifeng’s thoughts, jokingly replying:
“What can I say?
Having good talent is just how it is.”
He didn’t reject Chen Zifeng’s somewhat opportunistic approach.
If he put himself in Chen Zifeng’s shoes: if he didn’t have traits worthy of attention, why would a prodigy like Chen Zifeng—who stood out even among the younger generation of soul masters across the entire continent—lower his pride to initiate contact?
Due to his background, he was long accustomed to this.
“Alright, you’ve got guts,” Chen Zifeng couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“True enough, we’re all soul masters.
Without a bit of arrogance, how can we succeed?
With your talent, Junior Brother Yu, you definitely have the right to say that.”
Running at such high speeds, their voices remained completely steady, clearly reaching everyone’s ears.
Falling to the rear, his footsteps noticeably heavy, Xu Sanshi watched the effortlessly gliding Xu Zihuang ahead of him.
Panting heavily, he muttered sourly:
“We’re both Soul Ancestors; why is the gap so massive?
And I’m a defense-type soul master to boot.
Getting beaten up in duels all day is bad enough, but I’m even at a disadvantage when it comes to running.”
Bei Bei originally wanted to throw a few sarcastic remarks at Xu Sanshi, but considering his own condition wasn’t much better, he decided to save his breath.
Unlike his martial soul, the Pursuit Sword—which looked aloof, icy, and radiated murderous intent—Chen Zifeng was actually very talkative.
Chatting along the way, he and Xu Zihuang became much closer.
Notably, Chen Zifeng even proactively asked which country Xu Zihuang was from.
Upon learning that Xu Zihuang, like him, hailed from the Heavenly Soul Empire, his attitude toward Xu Zihuang grew even more intimate.
In the original three Douluo empires, national identity was still highly valued.
This had been a historical norm, tracing all the way back to ten thousand years ago when Spirit Hall still existed.
“By the way, Senior Brother Chen, have you ever encountered Evil Soul Masters while executing Guardian missions?” Xu Zihuang casually asked.
When Xu Zihuang mentioned Evil Soul Masters, a flash of undeniable fear swept through Chen Zifeng’s eyes.
“Although I’ve executed over twenty Guardian missions, I’ve only encountered Evil Soul Masters once.
At the time, I hadn’t been in the Inner Courtyard for very long.
The mission was led by a few Inner Courtyard seniors.
That Evil Soul Master’s cultivation was at the Soul Emperor level, and he had been roaming around the northern borders of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
In the end, it took several seniors joining forces to barely manage to eliminate him.”
Chen Zifeng spoke lightly, but his tone was incredibly heavy.
The situation back then was far more dangerous than his brief description implied.
One wrong move, and it would have been a total wipeout.
“I was there too,” Dai Yueheng, who was running ahead, suddenly slowed his pace, falling in beside Xu Zihuang with a grave expression.
“The methods and power of Evil Soul Masters cannot be judged by common sense.
To us Shrek Guardians, these Evil Soul Masters are our greatest enemies, and the hardest to deal with.
But Junior Brother Yu, you don’t need to worry too much.
According to reliable intelligence from the Star Luo Empire military, the leader of the ‘Death’s Hand’ bandits we need to annihilate this time likely hasn’t reached the Soul Emperor level.
While Evil Soul Masters are bizarre, they are still limited by their cultivation levels.”
Having said this, Dai Yueheng smoothly changed the heavy subject.
“Junior Brother Yu, actually, I heard about you over a year ago.
During the new student assessment back then, my brother Dai Huabin was defeated by you, right?”
“There was such a thing?” Chen Zifeng’s interest was immediately piqued.
He looked suspiciously at Dai Yueheng.
“Dai Yueheng, you’re not planning to help your brother get payback against Tianhuang, are you?”
“How is that possible?” Dai Yueheng smiled lightly and shook his head.
“Junior Brother Yu defeated Huabin fair and square.
I wouldn’t stoop to something so petty.
It’s just that Huabin possesses extraordinary talent from childhood, which fostered an arrogant personality.
If Huabin has ever offended you, Junior Brother Yu, as his older brother, I apologize to you on his behalf.”
Chen Zifeng wasn’t the only one trying to build a good relationship with Xu Zihuang.
Dai Yueheng also recognized Yu Tianhuang’s limitless potential.
If such a genius could be drawn into their family’s faction, the benefits would be massive.
Meeting Dai Yueheng’s gaze, Xu Zihuang maintained his composed demeanor.
“Senior Brother Dai, honestly, I have a pretty good impression of Dai Huabin.”
“Is that so?
That’s good to hear,” Dai Yueheng chuckled heartily, using the opportunity to continue chatting with Xu Zihuang.
Yao Haoxuan and Gongyang Mo occasionally chimed in as well.
Gongyang Mo, in particular, displayed an exceptionally strong interest in Xu Zihuang’s second martial soul.
Among the Inner Courtyard disciples, only Ma Xiaotao, along with the introverted and aloof Xixi and Ling Luochen, didn’t join the conversation.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan simply didn’t have the spare energy.
Carried by Ling Luochen, Ning Tian constantly watched Xu Zihuang, who had essentially become the core of the group.
Her eyes sparkled with vibrant light, filled with a sense of shared honor.
As for Wang Dong, who was being carried by Ma Xiaotao, he appeared unusually silent.
Dai Yueheng’s earlier words had struck a chord within him.
Setting aside his prejudices, Yu Tianhuang’s excellence was undeniable.
Thinking back carefully, it seemed that for the entirety of their first year, he had been the one unilaterally harboring hostility toward Yu Tianhuang.
Yu Tianhuang had merely defeated him fair and square, never once targeting him maliciously.
This sudden realization filled him with guilt and shame.
Of course, the catalyst for his self-reflection was Yu Tianhuang repeatedly crushing his confidence.
Otherwise, given his arrogant and conceited personality, he would never have considered his own faults.
In short, a personality like his simply needed a good dose of reality.
It wasn’t until around noon that the group stopped to rest.
By now, they had long left the Lima Plains near Shrek City and entered the territory of the Star Luo Empire.
The boundless plains were replaced by diverse mountainous and forested terrains.
The Inner Courtyard disciples and Xu Zihuang looked completely fine, but Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei were drenched in sweat, looking incredibly ragged.
And He Caitou, relying on his soul tools, was only suffering from a bit of excessive soul power depletion.
Xu Sanshi didn’t care about his image at all; he sprawled out spread-eagle on the ground, sticking his tongue out and gulping in air.
Compared to Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei, Jiang Nannan wasn’t much better off.
Though her clothes weren’t soaked, she was sweating profusely.
Seeing her, a certain someone’s gaze instantly went blank.
Jiang Nannan glared fiercely at Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi quickly averted his gaze, not forgetting to add:
“Nannan, I didn’t see anything.”
“Get lost!” Jiang Nannan’s almond eyes widened, filled with utter disgust.
“Okay, I’m getting lost, I’m getting lost,” Xu Sanshi chuckled mischievously.
His skin was incredibly thick, and he actually started rolling around on the ground as Jiang Nannan had demanded.
Sitting nearby, Bei Bei laughed out loud: “You really look like a rolling turtle.
True to your Xuanming Turtle martial soul.”
Xu Sanshi originally wanted to snap back, but his attention was instinctively drawn to Ma Xiaotao’s actions.
He watched as Ma Xiaotao gracefully walked over to Xu Zihuang.
An unnatural, deep flush colored her pretty face.
Trying to maintain a casual tone, she said:
“Yu Tianhuang, come with me for a second.”
“Alright.”
Xu Zihuang noticed the fiery-red light surging within Ma Xiaotao’s pink eyes and knew her Evil Fire was acting up again.
He agreed, stood up, and followed her deep into the forest.
Although he disliked the slightly commanding tone of Ma Xiaotao’s words, given the persona he was maintaining at Shrek Academy, it was hard to say anything against it.
Aside from Ma Xiaotao and Xu Zihuang themselves, the expressions of everyone else turned extremely strange.
Ning Tian, in particular, stared at the spot where Xu Zihuang and Ma Xiaotao disappeared into the forest, unable to look away for a long time.
“What’s going on?
Are Xiaotao and Tianhuang very close?” Chen Zifeng asked, completely bewildered.
The others were equally clueless.
Only Gongyang Mo, who knew some of the inside story, wasn’t overly surprised, though a peculiar gleam sparkled in his peach-blossom eyes.
Xu Sanshi seemed to completely forget their earlier unpleasantness.
He nudged Bei Bei’s shoulder with a gossipy look, lowering his voice:
“Bei Bei, do you think Tianhuang might be involved with Senior Sister Xiaotao?”
Bei Bei shot a sharp, warning glare at Xu Sanshi and scolded, “Shut your mouth.”
Having grown up in Shrek Academy, Bei Bei knew Ma Xiaotao’s volatile temper better than anyone.
If she heard that remark, they’d both be in for a world of pain.
Realizing his slip-up, Xu Sanshi quickly covered his mouth, looking fearfully in the direction Xu Zihuang and Ma Xiaotao had gone.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Ma Xiaotao and Xu Zihuang came to a halt.
Without needing Ma Xiaotao to ask, Xu Zihuang knowingly used his First Soul Skill, White Whale’s Chant, to help her suppress the Evil Fire in her body.
Ma Xiaotao let out a soft moan and didn’t waste any time, immediately sitting cross-legged and entering a meditative state.
As Xu Zihuang maintained his First Soul Skill, his mind worked through Ma Xiaotao’s intent behind doing this.
Everyone in the Inner Courtyard knew about her Evil Fire problem.
The fact that he could suppress it shouldn’t be something that needed hiding from the group.
Yet, Ma Xiaotao deliberately did just that.
Was it out of caution, or did she have an ulterior motive?
“Mmm—”
A quick fifteen minutes passed, and Ma Xiaotao opened her bizarre pink eyes.
Rising feeling refreshed and invigorated, she stretched her body.
Her somewhat exaggeratedly curvaceous figure was clearly presented before Xu Zihuang.
This reminded Xu Zihuang of the scene of Ma Xiaotao soaking wet in Sea God’s Lake that night.
Although he constantly suppressed his emotions and desires, he was still a physically and mentally healthy male; biological instincts aren’t something that can simply be erased.
Noticing Xu Zihuang’s gaze, Ma Xiaotao froze for a moment, and then a mix of shyness and smugness rose within her.
Always acting so proper and serious.
You almost had me doubting my own charm.
Thinking of this, she even purposefully puffed out her chest a bit more.
Xu Zihuang quickly returned his expression to a calm one, giving Ma Xiaotao a warm smile.
“Senior Sister Xiaotao, could you do me a favor?”
“Just say it.
What do you need me to help with?
You’ve helped me suppress my Evil Fire multiple times; I owe you a massive favor anyway.
As long as it’s within my power, this Big Sister will get it done for you,” Ma Xiaotao agreed readily, in an excellent mood.
Her gaze toward Xu Zihuang even carried a playful glint.
Xu Zihuang’s smile remained as he pulled the pitch-black piece of Whale Gel from his soul tool.
“Senior Sister Xiaotao, this is a piece of Myriad Year Whale Gel.
Could you help me soften it a bit?”
Seeing that Xu Zihuang no longer looked at her with that kind of gaze, Ma Xiaotao didn’t mind.
For her, just knowing that she wasn’t completely unattractive to Yu Tianhuang was enough.
It was purely a matter of a woman’s competitive pride—even for a fierce, formidable girl like her, there was no exception.
Ma Xiaotao took the black piece of Whale Gel, a look of confusion on her face.
“Is this thing really Myriad Year Whale Gel?”
Despite her doubt, her hands moved quickly.
Under the intense heat of her Phoenix flames, the Whale Gel gradually began to change.
The pitch-black Whale Gel started to shift colors.
A faint golden glow emanated from within it, and as the temperature rose, the incredibly hard Whale Gel began to soften.
Finally, it turned into a dark-golden, semi-transparent jelly-like substance.
Ma Xiaotao’s cute nose wrinkled as the rich aroma of the Myriad Year Whale Gel filled the air.
“Looks like the quality of this Myriad Year Whale Gel is quite good.”
“Alright, here you go.
Do you need me to stand guard for you?”
Saying that, she handed the Myriad Year Whale Gel back to Xu Zihuang.
The Myriad Year Whale Gel still carried the extreme heat of her Phoenix flames, but given Yu Tianhuang’s Soul Ancestor-level cultivation, he certainly wouldn’t be burned by it.
Xu Zihuang smiled and shook his head.
“No need, Senior Sister Xiaotao.
Let’s head back.
With my physical fitness, I don’t even need to deliberately cultivate to absorb the effects of the Myriad Year Whale Gel.”
Since Xu Zihuang said so, Ma Xiaotao didn’t press further.
But as she followed behind him, her pink eyes gleamed with amusement.
You fake-proper little brat.
When the Whale Gel entered his mouth, it initially carried a strong, fishy taste, but that quickly turned into a warm current flooding his limbs and bones, leaving a faint, lingering fragrance.
Having previously consumed Myriad Year Whale Gel, Xu Zihuang expertly channeled his soul power to guide this warm current.
By the time they returned to the group, Xu Zihuang had completely absorbed the Myriad Year Whale Gel’s medicinal properties.
However, the image the two presented to the group had completely changed, making everyone’s expressions turn even stranger.
Ma Xiaotao, having neutralized the Evil Fire in her body, looked utterly refreshed and radiant.
Meanwhile, Xu Zihuang, having refined the effects of the Myriad Year Whale Gel, was entirely flushed.
If one had to use a word to describe his current appearance, “unsatisfied” would be the most fitting.
Xu Zihuang’s sudden change was, of course, due to the Myriad Year Whale Gel.
Myriad Year Whale Gel has always possessed another, rather specific side effect.
When Xu Zihuang consumed Myriad Year Whale Gel at age eight, his body hadn’t yet fully developed, so it wasn’t a problem.
But now, his physical development was comparable to that of a fifteen-year-old boy.
The effects of the excessive yang energy instantly manifested itself.